“You’re too mean, Chase,” she says, but she’s smiling as she pulls out of the lot.
“And you’re too nice,” I shoot back, thumbs tapping out a quick message to Jake.
CHASE:Got a ride. Mission accomplished. I owe you one!
Serena scoops her hair behind her ear. “I’m just trying to keep things professional with Ryan because our jobs cross over sometimes. But he isn’t getting the message.”
“He’s still after another shot then?”
“The more I say no, the more determined he is. I can’t believe I didn’t see how controlling he was when we were together. I actually used to think him picking the restaurant every single time was romantic.” She heaves a sigh, and I can tell it’s getting to her.
“Want me to run him over? I’ll make it look like an accident.”
She laughs, and the sound untangles the tightness of tonight’s game in my chest. One of those fierce games that leaves everything sore, including my pride. We won against the Riverrunners, but barely. A fourth-quarter scramble that felt more like a bar fight than strategy, edging us to a three-pointwin, but I still walked off the field feeling like I’d lost. Last week’s disaster against the Wildhorns is still fresh in everyone’s minds, especially mine. Two missed reads and one interception tonight isn’t the kind of football that’s going to get us into the playoffs, let alone to the Super Bowl, come February.
We hit the road, the Denver city lights stretching ahead. This part of town is lined with low-rise office blocks and mom-and-pop storefronts, but in the distance, the glass towers of the business district slice into the night sky. Denver might be Colorado’s capital, but it carries a small-town soul thanks to the Stormhawks. The team has been owned by the same Denver-based family who started it in the fifties. It’s created a football legacy that’s woven deep into the city’s fabric. The Stormhawks mean everything to Denver. And the city is the heartbeat of the team. That’s what gives this place its small-town vibe. No matter how big it gets, it still feels like home. Something I appreciate a lot more after living in Kansas for four years.
“Where am I dropping you?” she asks. “Apartment or ranch?”
My two homes. On game nights and early practice days, I crash at the apartment I bought in the city this year, in the same building as Jake and his wife, Harper. The rest of the time, I’m out at Oakwood Ranch.
I’m staying in the city tonight, but no way am I ready to go home yet.
“The Hay Barn,” I reply, already longing for a cold beer in my favorite booth and the kind of banter with my brothers that cuts through the pressure of the game and reminds me what matters. Dylan, older than me by four years, hasn’t played pro football for the Stormhawks since his ACL tear a few years back. He now breeds horses for the rodeo on the ranch with his wife, Izzy—the ranch hand he fell in love with after he hired her to help him. ButDylan never misses an opportunity to come into the city to catch a game and meet afterward to tear apart the plays.
I shoot a look at Serena. “And you look like you need company, so you’re coming in.” I sense Serena hesitate. “Harper and Mia are already there,” I add, knowing the mention of our friends is the final nudge she needs to say yes. The four of us were in homeroom together throughout high school, and with Harper now married to Jake, and Mia the VP of Colorado’s biggest media firm, Arquette Media, it feels good to finally all be in the same city again.
Serena’s smile widens. “Well, when you put it like that… The Hay Barn it is.”
For a moment, everything feels easy. Like it always does when I’m with Serena. I was traded from the Kansas City Trailblazers to the Stormhawks before the start of last season, in one of the biggest trades in franchise history. Coming home to Denver was amazing on so many levels. I’m playing for my home team with Jake as my tight end. I get to see him and Dylan and Mama all the time, and that means the world.
But one of the biggest draws about being home is getting to hang out with my best friend whenever I want. Now that Serena’s moved from cheerleading to cheer coaching, we don’t even have to worry about the team thinking we’re breaking any rules in our contracts about fraternizing. Just two best friends. Easy. Fun.
Aside from my love life being headline news on every gossip site in America, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
“So, what’s your secret identity name going to be?” I ask, settling into my seat as we hit green lights and empty road.
“My what?” Serena shoots me a questioning look. I love how she knows a joke is coming, her eyes already dancing like she’s about to laugh.
“The way I see it, you need to hide from Ryan and I’m dodging the Chasing Love fans. Think that means we’re both officially in witness protection and will need secret identities.”
“Should we get matching disguises?”
“I never go anywhere without a fake mustache in my gym bag.”
“What’s your code name then?” she asks.
I raise a brow. “Captain Handsome.”
She groans. “You’re insufferable.”
We drive on, throwing fake names at each other. “Cleopatra Thunderstrike?” Serena suggests. “And you can be Major Snuggle.”
“Major Snuggle? You’re making me sound like a pampered cat,” I say, pretending to take offense. “Surely I’m more of a Dirk Beefcake?” I lift my throwing arm and flex my bicep, both of us cracking up.
By the time we find a place to park down the street from The Hay Barn, and I offer up Lance Lightning Rod, we’re both howling with laughter.
Serena cuts the engine, still smiling, and the weight of the game eases off my shoulders. A fake name, a cold beer, and my best friend at my side? That’s all the escape I need tonight.